Revealed! What happened in the Jamshedpur FC - FC Goa tunnel fight!

Six players were sent off amid ugly scenes in the Super Cup quarterfinal between the two sides. What really happened there?

One of the most talked about matches in the recently concluded Super Cup was the quarter-final fixture between FC Goa and Jamshedpur FC which finished 5-1 in favour of the Gaurs.

However, the match attracted a lot of attention. Not for the number of goals scored but for the ugly incident during half-time which saw six players sent off, three from each team.

The incident occurred after the referee wrongly used TV replays to rule out Brandon Fernandes' goal at the stroke of half-time. The ball had already crossed the line and went out of play before the Indian winger blasted it into the roof of the net and wheeled away in celebration. After initially giving the goal, the referee reversed his decision after getting input from somebody who had access to the TV replays and even indicated so with a hand gesture.

Subsequently, players from both teams got into a scuffle during the break and the referee sent off six players.

From Jamshedpur’s side, goalkeeper Subrata Paul, defender Anas Edathodika and attacker Kervens Belfort along with goalkeeping coach Robert Andrew, were suspended for two consecutive matches.

FC Goa’s Bruno Pinheiro, Sergio Juste and Brandon Fernandes were also suspended. Officials from both teams have criticised the decision and there was a lot of hue and cry over the incident. So what really happened in the tunnel?

Goal examines the footage from the two cameras in the tunnel in a bid to find out:

1) We see players entering the tunnel at half-time. Memo and Trindade walk in to Jamshedpur's dressing room (on the right side) and they are followed by Steve Coppell. However, Hugo Boumous (jersey no.4) of FC Goa and Andre Bikey (jersey no.2) of Jamshedpur FC are seen having an argument as they walk in next.

2) Brandon Fernandes (jersey no.10), one of the suspended players, is seen entering the tunnel now even as Bikey and Boumous go their separate ways.

3) Jamshedpur's Kervens Belfort (jersey no.9) is then seen charging towards Brandon and getting into a heated discussion with him.

4) Bruno Pinheiro (jersey no.16) then charges towards Belfort and takes him towards the Jamshedpur dressing room, by which point the players are all coming in and see the commotion. Interestingly, Brandon and Boumous (wearing jersey no.10 and no.4) are seen standing away from the whole scuffle at this point.

5) The camera near the FC Goa dressing room then throws up a better picture of the melee. Jamshedpur FC's goalkeeping coach Robert Andrew (wearing the yellow shirt) takes offence to Pinheiro and tries to pull him away from Belfort forcibly, which is the point where the physical confrontation starts between the players.

Pinheiro and the other FC Goa players (including Narayan Das and Pronay Halder) at the scene are angered in response to Andrew's actions and get involved in a tussle. Most of the players and officials are all caught in the brawl including Jamshedpur FC goalkeeper Subrata Paul who rushes in and takes a swing at Pinheiro.

6) The scuffle then takes place in front of the Jamshedpur dressing room where it is not clear what is happening. But Boumous and Sergio Juste are seen moving towards the melee and then later come out. However, it can be said that Brandon did not involve himself in the tussle by what we have seen from the two cameras.

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It has to be noted that the All India Football Federation (AIFF) did not have footage of the camera outside the Jamshedpur FC dressing room which is where the most of the action happened before they dished out the punishments.